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Creating the perfect custom group travel itinerary starts with a great group tour company. Check out the Top 5 from G. Adventures. Links in the story will take you directly to offers for more information.

Gap Adventures Top 5: Around the World Adventures By: Steve Clifford  and Gap Adventures

While most people save up for a week or two of adventure, some people are lucky enough to head out on a grand adventure around the world. RTW travel can free you up for a year to explore many places. Here is a brief Top 5 list of top Round the World experiences from Gap Adventures traveller Steve Clifford…

There were many highlights on my 10-month RTW journey but here are five memorable experiences from the Atlantic, England, Jordan, Syria and Nepal that I highly recommend to savour.

#5 Cross an Ocean by Ship — In the past most great adventures began from the deck of a ship and I was determined, at least once in my life, to unfasten my seat belt, look beyond my upright seat tray and cross an ocean at sea level. I was the only passenger aboard a small container ship sailing from Charleston, SC to Felixstowe, England, an 8-day crossing. In reality life aboard a working ship quickly becomes routine, especially if you’re the only one not working. However the countless hours spent scanning the empty horizon are quickly forgotten when you finally glimpse your destination and arrive ashore with a new sense of scale and connectedness. (While you may not cross the Atlantic on a Gap Adventures tour, consider a great voyage across the Arctic on the M/S Expedition!)

#4 Ramble on in North Yorkshire — I’ve followed many a footpath over the years but those that crisscross the moors and dales in God’s own country are hard to beat. The breezy North Sea coastal footpath that winds its way between Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay is a favourite, as are the green pastures and stunning panoramas that surround you in Swaledale. Best of all, at the end of any walk, you’ll find a welcoming Yorkshire pub where you can enjoy a pint (or two) of hand-pulled real ale. Suggested Gap Adventures trip includes Norwegian Fjords & Polar Bears.

#3 Experience 40 winks in the land of 1001 Nights — Lying roughly between the ancient city of Petra and the Red Sea port of Aqaba lay Wadi Rum, a vast and windswept lunar-like landscape of biblical proportions. A lack of roads force Bedouin nomads and adventure travelers along ancient routes used by Nabataeans and more recently, Lawrence of Arabia. A visit to Jordan’s Wadi Rum is an unforgettable experience, one you’ll ponder long after you call it a day and stretch out on your camp cot under a blanket of stars. (Recommended tour to Jordan is Highlights of Jordan).

#2 Clean up your act in a 500 year-old Hammam— Adventure travelers are down to earth but some are more down to earth than others. All that time spent at ground level can leave you dirty – but you don’t know how dirty until you’ve

been exfoliated by a 300 lb. Turk with an attitude. Hit a Turkish Hammam, a traditional public bath for a couple of hours as it will cost you less than US$10 and includes wet and dry saunas, an invigorating exfoliation, intense massage and, once pristine, a chance to kick back and sip tea with businessmen and royalty. (Suggested tour is Absolute Turkey).

#1 Stand at the foot of the Roof of the World — A trek in eastern Nepal to the foot of Mt. Everest was the definitive highlight of my 10-month journey around the world. The thin mountain air and the dazzling Nepali smiles are as intoxicating as the homemade raksi and chaang sampled along the way. I can still picture enthusiastic porters digging into platefuls of their beloved Dal Baht while strains of the Nepali folk classic, Resham Firiri, reverberated through the Himalayas. (Consider Gap Adventures tour Everest Adventure).

Are you ready to head out around the world? Contact Eclat Travel to start planning your great adventure!

What with rising gas prices, natural disasters seemingly everywhere, and unrest in parts of the world it’s enough to make some people want to just hold up in the back yard with a tent and a barbecue for the family vacation this summer and call it good.

If, however, that is not your idea of a proper holiday and you are still tempted to forge ahead with your vacation plans this year, here are five very good reasons to travel now, and why using a travel pro to arrange the details is one of the smartest things you can do to maximize the value in your vacation and minimize the risks.

1. Sometimes waiting to purchase travel is the worst thing you can do. Prices can and do go up (Continental and United have already announced fare increases).
2. Availability at your favorite hotels, cruises, and attractions sell out quickly.
3. Incentives are often available when you book early. A great travel advisor has access to unadvertised specials and incentives, and knows how to get you the most vacation value for your money.
4. Yes, gas prices are rising, but there are still ways to enjoy a great vacation and not spend a fortune. When you’re building a custom vacation you have the flexibility to build it any way you want to. One cost-saving idea is to consider building your vacation around emerging destinations that may be better deals than well-established areas. And if you’re not quite sure about that, try visiting a popular destination in its off-season when rates are lower. Added benefits to traveling during the off-season include better availability, fewer tourists, and lower costs for attractions.
5. And, finally, the best reason to book your travel plans now is that tomorrow may never come. I’m a firm believer in valuing today because we never know what tomorrow will bring. Ask yourself, “if not now, when?”

If you’ve “always dreamed” of going somewhere, or doing something special, start planning it now – it’s exciting and fun, gives you something positive to look forward to, and you’ll be glad you did. And, if you have the expert guidance of a travel professional, we will be able to help you find exclusive offers, unique destinations, and provide savvy travel advice that will make your trip exciting and memorable.

Contact me for a free custom travel quote.

Cheers!

Cheryl
Custom Travel Specialist
Cheryl@EclatTravel.com
www.EclatTravel.com

Private villas or other vacation rentals are a great alternative to cruises and hotels for multigenerational family groups who wish to stay together when the cruise line or hotel doesn’t offer rooms that accommodate more than three or four guests in a room, social groups or clubs who would like to meet and socialize informally who don’t have a budget for a meeting room, and for small corporate and incentive meetings and retreats where rewarding achievement, building camaraderie, and privacy are important considerations.

Designing your custom vacation, or small group retreat, using a villa rental (or rentals) can offer some great benefits. Among those are space, cost savings on dining out, privacy and common gathering areas. Depending on your budget, you can also locate luxury vacation rentals that include your own staff. Many of them have pools, and recreation equipment such as pool, ping pong or air hockey tables, bikes, theatre rooms and other amenities that traditional accommodations don’t offer.

Vacation rentals are available in many destinations including large cities, country settings and resorts. Finding the perfect villa to rent can be a challenge – there is an awful lot to choose from online. When the real estate market took a dive a lot of people owning second homes, who couldn’t sell them, decided to get into the vacation rental market. Unfortunately, when you are renting online you don’t always know what you are getting until you get there. I’m sure plenty of you have had the experience of booking something that had great photos online, but the place was not nearly what it looked like, or was advertised. That’s one reason to use a group travel organizer.

Yes, a travel advisor who is also a professional group travel organizer can book vacation rentals and when you book a villa through an agent your chances are much better for getting what you paid for. More and more travel suppliers are offering villa rentals to their guests as alternatives to traditional accommodations and because they do, they are diligent about the quality of home or apartment they are offering.  Group travel planners will also ensure that you know all of the costs involved, such as cleaning fees, additional fees for bedding or maid service, utility fees, etc. And, probably most importantly, a group travel organiser will save you hours and hours of time searching the internet for the right property for your group.

It just so happens that I have many years of experience working with incentive group travel, family reunions and other small group vacations, so, next time you need a professional group travel organizer, let us help you with the details.

Cheers!
Cheryl
Custom Travel Specialist
www.EclatTravel.com